Warmth of Winter
by AuroraRain18
Summary: (Set after HTTYD3. Spoilers) After colonizing in New Berk, the winter proves to be much harsher than they're used to. It's hard not to miss what things had been, but yet, it's holding those moments dear to his heart that Hiccup realizes that he has everything he needs to make his future one worth building. At least with her beside him.


**I usually write for my other fandom, Ninjago, but gosh darn it, How To train Your Dragon 3 made me realize how much I love this fandom. It dawned on me a while ago that I've been watching the tv shows for YEARS and that I should probably attempt to make a fic. Honestly, I don't regret it. **

**And since I love Hicstrid, you bet I'll deliver some good romance. Takes place shortly after the recent movie. Hope you enjoy! **

**~Rain**

* * *

Colonizing in New Berk had probably been a better idea in the summer. On average, the weather was simple and beautiful... the perfect place to start over.

But the young chief underestimated the power of winter. They had gotten used to the cycles of relentless storms back on the previous island, however, these were newer conditions. Especially when the village wasn't perfected.

Hiccup wished Toothless were here more than ever now. He was the leader of Berk and had been overseeing everything up to this point. The ice had begun to build up, making it nearly impossible to travel. Now his leg prevented him from going anywhere and doing anything to help prepare for the blizzard.

Luckily, Astrid- it was always Astrid- volunteered to take over for him. She had left two hours prior, bundling up and leaving with a peck on his cheek. Hiccup hoped she was handling everything okay.

He stoked the fire, wincing as a harsh breeze thrust the window open, releasing cold air into the hut. Hiccup hobbled over, fighting to close it, before collapsing on a cushioned chair.

Maybe a few minutes passed of him staring at the ceiling when the door suddenly opened, scaring him. Hiccup sat up, fixing his sloppy position only to find Astrid flinging her stuff into the corner of the hut. Her swift movements and sour expression convinced Hiccup that she wasn't in the best of moods.

"Next time _you're_ doing the chief stuff. And your stupid leg won't be an excuse. You can slip for all I care."

"Heh... that bad, huh?" The boy sympathized.

Astrid sighed, undoing her hood and letting it drop to the floor.

"It was going well until Ruff started throwing snow at everyone who was attempting to prepare. That was when the wind was picking up. She ended up blinding Tuff and he... well... he ran into Bucket who was carrying a whole tree- who carries a whole _tree?!_ I said get _fire wood_!- which he ended up dropping. And then that-"

"Yeaaahhh... I saw the broken hut," Hiccup chuckled, looking out the window to survey the damage.

Astrid gave him a defeated look, flopping onto a different chair.

"And to think I might be _Chieftess_ one day. I used to think I'd be amazing but... Ugh, no one listens to me. You're the smart one, Hiccup. I'm not you."

"Well I'll be..." The chief teased, standing up to move closer to his betrothed. "Astrid Hofferson _doubting_ herself." He leaned over the side of the chair, and Astrid began laughing as he grabbed her in for a hug. She attempted to push him and his efforts away, but Hiccup had a hold on her, and soon moved the girl over so he could squeeze in next to her. "It really must've been bad then."

Astrid hesitated, before relaxing against him. Normally, they strayed from public affections, however, had started to spend more time privately ever since letting the dragons leave. In those moments, it was nice to let go and just be normal. Just a guy and a girl.

And, with saying goodbye to their best friends... it was also nice to enjoy the others' company.

"I'll be fine," Astrid said, eventually.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup mumbled, regardless. "this is my village. I would've helped if I could."

The blonde chuckled, resting her head on his shoulder.

"It _was_ terrible out there. But I'm sure I'll get better. I'm just happy to have helped."

"I can't tell you what I'd do without you, Astrid. Mom told me this wasn't a one-person job. With Toothless gone..." He trailed off.

Astrid looked to him, noticing the change in mood.

"I miss them too..."

This was Hiccup's first winter without Toothless since meeting the Night Fury. It was hard to think that this would be the rest of his life; harsh winters without the company of his dragon. Lonely nights wishing Toothless was there. It had only been a few months since Toothless had led the dragons to the Hidden World, and still Hiccup would spend his days wondering if he'd ever see his best friend again.

The odds were against that.

Hiccup sighed, deeply pained, and held Astrid closer.

"I'm just grateful to still have you. You... mom... Eret... Gobber... even the old team. I would have never made it without you."

At these words, Astrid tilted her head a bit to give him a peck on the cheek, resting against his chest in silence. It was a calming practice that they'd been experimenting with, and as the minutes ticked by with nothing but the crackling fire and Astrid's steady breathing, Hiccup tried to imagine _this_ as his future.

There would be no Toothless. No more dragons...  
But there would be winter nights when Astrid would stop by. They'd sit by the fire and relish each other's company, sharing stories, telling jokes, and maybe _other_ stuff when they were more comfortable with each other.  
And eventually there'd be sunny days again. Before the snow settled, they'd take long walks through the woods, familiarizing themselves with the environment and getting away from the settlement for just a few spare moments.

Maybe things wouldn't turn out too bad.

Astrid seemed to be thinking about the same things.

"Remember that one time in the forest when you carried me on your shoulders and let me reach into some of the leaves."

"And you pulled out that flower?" He asked, smiling.

"Yeah, that one. We didn't know what it was called so you said I could name it."

Hiccup remembered. "You called it a Milady."

Astrid giggled, braiding a few strands of her hair while Hiccup continued to gaze into the fire.

"I said I called it that because _girl_ _power_ or whatever. But... I honestly just liked whenever you called me that."

"Oh?" He raised his brows in surprise. He'd been calling her that for years out of general respect, and most times he never thought about it. Astrid had never commented about it the many times he'd referred to her with the name.

Knowing that she did appreciate it warmed his heart a little.

"Yeah. Probably didn't ever tell you that."

"Well... uh, thanks, I guess."

Hiccup was a little taken aback as she continued.

"That flower was so pretty too... and then you said you'd find me all of those flowers and give them to the one Milady that mattered..." Astrid turned to completely face him. "I laughed, Hiccup. No thank you or anything."

"It was pretty corny," Hiccup shrugged, bashfully, thinking about that one moment he had completely forgotten. "You had a right to laugh."

"Well, I'm not laughing about it now... It was sweet... and I should have told you that a long time ago."

Hiccup blinked, chewing the inside of his cheek thoughtlessly. He never took Astrid as a romantic, as it wasn't his forte either. But, maybe they'd both been letting their guards down lately.

The anticipation of his plan to propose soon made him a little nervous to sit next to her.

"Um, is there a reason you brought it up?"

Astrid sighed. "You were telling me how you appreciated me being here and I thought I'd tell you that you mean something to me too." She turned away, though Hiccup caught a faint blush on her cheeks, hidden behind her blonde locks. She inhaled deeply. "And... I've been sorta... _dismissive_ lately."

"Dismissive? Noooo..." He argued, drumming his fingers nervously. "You don't _have_ to like everything I say."

"Well... I like the _big_ thing you're trying to say. The thing you've _been_ trying to say. I've brushed it off so many times, but when I really think about it..."

"Big thing," Hiccup laughed, nervously. "Right... which is...?"

"You tell me..." The girl prompted, with a grin.

"Uhhhh... you know, I _think_ you and I are thinking about _very_ different big things," The boy rambled, lifting an arm to subconsciously rub his neck, avoiding direct eye contact. Astrid continued to stare at him expectantly, however.

He finally turned to her, unsure of what to say. Sure, he'd thought about this moment a _lot_, asking her to get married soon, but when it was a reality?

His vernacular was failing him.

"Listen, Hiccup," Astrid started again, settling closer to him so that she was partially sitting on his lap. "Before we found New Berk, I said that we weren't ready for it. But, I think I just wasn't looking at everything properly. I _want_ that now. I took all of it for granted. I think that we _are_ ready, and maybe I was just scared of the change. Just... I thought I should tell you. Just in case."

"Yooouuuu wanna get married," Hiccup said, processing the information differently than he'd expected.

"Oh gods," Astrid said, noting his nerves. She pushed away from him, blushing from ear to ear. "We really were thinking about two different big things."

"No, no," Hiccup started, not wanting her to feel weird. "I _was_ thinking about it. I'm just... _surprised_, honestly, that you're actually okay with it. But that's great!"

Astrid didn't seem convinced. She clutched her hands to her chest, putting a bit of space between them.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup, I didn't mean to force you into it-"

"Force me!" Hiccup interrupted her, clasping onto her hands and drawing her closer to the point where she had to crawl further onto his lap. "Astrid, this is the one thing I've wanted ever since we were kids. Granted, we're still patching things up since moving here, so the timing may be a little rough, but I've been waiting for this for an eternity."

"Really?" Astrid smiled.

He grasped her shoulders, shaking them firmly. "Yes. Astrid Hofferson, I've been trying to find the right moment to ask you for a while now. And... oh gods... I'm doing it on a chair with _you_ while my village is still freaking out about these storms... Tuff is gonna kill me."

"Tuff?" Astrid laughed, amused, but mostly beaming.

"He wanted it to be something, I don't know... _grander_. And... probably more public."

Astrid rolled her eyes, adjusting her position again so she was curling against her betrothed. "Well... I like this. This is... sorta... _perfect_."

It was. Perhaps it was just the fire, but Hiccup felt sudden warmth at being nestled so close to his love this winter. Her hands were still cold from being outside, so he took to enveloping them between his own, carefully rubbing at her smooth, pale skin.

Astrid hummed softly, closing her eyes.

"So... it's official then?"

_Marriage. _Hiccup thought, temporarily distracted by the moment. _Right._

"I... uh- well, I guess. I technically didn't ask you yet."

"You said that you were planning on it. I said I'm ready for it. Skip the tradition," She looked up at him, joyfully. "Hiccup, we're getting married, right?"

Once again, he didn't know what to say. Hiccup nodded, reflecting her smile.

"Good," She said, slouching against him again. "Although I'm guessing this stays between us for now."

Hiccup sighed.

"Probably, but don't take it personally. I promise, Astrid, once the storms die down and everyone's a little calmer, we'll give them a reason to celebrate. And for that, I'll be giving a more _formal_ proposal."

He pinched her side, causing her to laugh again, swatting his arm away.

"Alright then _fiancé_," Astrid teased, snaking an arm around his neck to pull him into a quick kiss. She then hopped out of the chair, stretching, that mischievous glint still in her eye. "_you_ will inform me on the plan later, and I will start heading home now."

"You sure?" Hiccup leaned back comfortably. The chair was suddenly more spacious. "It's getting dark out. Wouldn't want you slipping on something you can't see..."

"I'll be fine," Astrid remarked, probably with another eye roll. Still, Hiccup regarded her warily as she bundled up again, getting ready to leave. "It's just a little snow."

Sure enough, Astrid Hofferson left as quickly as she came, with no goodbyes said. When the door finally closed, Hiccup released a breath he hadn't known he was holding, at the thought of what had happened.

It didn't feel right without his dad. Without Toothless.

But, somehow, that didn't stop the overwhelming happiness bursting inside him, his heart speeding up as he found that Astrid's presence still lingered.

He tried to bury the swelling delight, collecting his composure and staring straight at the fire. Alone.

"I'm still chief," he mumbled, raking a hand through his messy brown hair. "She's still Astrid. Nothing's changed."

But it had.

Astrid burst in once again, shivering completely, and he noticed that the girl was once again drenched.

"On second thought," Astrid began, as Hiccup hurried to help her over to the fire. "I'll stay here, if that's okay."

It wasn't a request, by any means. The thing with Astrid was that she was a girl with a goal. She had made up her mind, and _was_ staying, no matter what he told her.

And, arguing with her was pointless, so it was good that he agreed.

Hiccup smiled, kissing her forehead with relief. And slight pity with how she was shivering.

"More than okay," The boy nodded, bracing her shoulders to pull her in for a more definite kiss. He felt warm all over again when contact had been made, and it seemed Astrid felt the same, because she immediately melted into him.

For one night, Hiccup was given a reason to forget about being chief. Just for one moment. The winter was cold, but there were the things that mattered; his family, Astrid... even the memories of his loved ones.

They would make a new future on the foundation of their past. Him and Astrid, side by side, would make New Berk a place of peace and prosperity. And when it came time to get married, he'd make her a crown of those flowers she adored, as a promise. These moments were all that mattered, and they were going to make every one count.

* * *

**Heh, so... I tried. The thing with Hicstrid is it's so unique that it's almost impossible to replicate. They're the perfect kind of sweet and casual that made writing this kinda difficult.**

**But I hope it's good nonetheless ^.^ **


End file.
